1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a photographic silver halide element having a photographic silver halide gelatino emulsion layer and an undercoat layer comprising a stain retarding concentration of a phosphine antistain agent or a phosphine antistain agent precursor in the undercoat layer. This invention also relates to a method of developing and stabilizing a silver image to reduce post-process buildup of silver sulfide stain in such a photographic silver halide element.
2. Description of the State of the Art
Photographic silver halide elements designed for rapid processing, especially those designed for processing in an activator bath and a silver halide thiosulfate stabilization bath, are well known. Generally, such photographic silver halide elements contain silver halide developing agents which enable more rapid development. The photographic silver halide element is useful without the need for further fixing. Such photographic elements have suitable resistance to stain formation upon short term keeping. For longer keeping purposes, a problem of undesired stain formation has been encountered in such photographic elements. No suitable answer to this stain problem is clear from the photographic art.
Many compounds have been incorporated in photographic silver halide emulsions as antifoggants. An example of such a compound is an aryl phosphine sulphonic acid or water soluble salt thereof, as described in U.K. Patent Specification No. 1,066,261. While such phosphine compounds are useful in antifoggant concentrations in silver halide gelatino emulsions, the compounds are not useful in silver halide gelatino emulsions at higher concentrations than antifoggant concentrations, because the phosphine compounds cause undesired desensitization of the silver halide prior to exposure and processing.